David Bates Photo

UNE wins 5th straight with 7-0 shutout of RWU


Box Score

BRISTOL, R.I. -- Seven different players found the scoring column, as the University of New England cruised to a 7-0 shutout of Roger Williams University in a Commonwealth Coast Conference field hockey match played Friday evening (Oct. 24) at Bayside Field.

The win was the fifth consecutive for the Nor'easters (12-5, 10-1 CCC), who secured at least a share of the CCC regular-season title for the second straight season. Roger Williams (7-11, 3-8) dropped its fifth straight outing and is now 0-3 in the all-time series with UNE.

The Nor'easters scored early and often in this one, with Nicole Matarozzo getting UNE on the board 2:55 into the match when she took a pass from Erin Bibber and directed a shot into the right side of the cage for her 10th marker of the season.

UNE went nearly 20 minutes without a goal but closed the half strong with three tallies over the final 14:42 of the frame. Hannah Warren made it  2-0 with an unassisted goal in the 22nd minute, slicing her way up the middle of the field and finding the cage from the slot. Bibber and Olivia Madore would then score less than two minutes apart (32nd and 34th) to give the visitors a commanding 4-0 lead. Bibber caged her team-leading 13th goal after stealing a RWU pass and weaving her way by several Hawk defenders. Madore then followed with a conversion off a rebound of a shot by Alex Staples.

Big Blue continued to pour it on after intermission, getting second-half goals from Vonde SaundersBrooke Marshall and Cole Dion to make the final margin 7-0. Saunders converted a rebound for her eighth goal, Marshall knocked home a feed from Olivia Norton, and Dion notched her first goal of the season on a rebound off a shot by Kaitlin Hilton.

Holly Smith had one save over the initial 59:51 before giving way to Nicole Schena, who played the rest of the way in her first career appearance.

Meghan Augur had a busy evening for Roger Williams, stopping a total of 10 shots. 

The Nor'easters, who led 28-4 in shots, will host the University of Southern Maine for a non-conference game Tuesday at 4 p.m.